The “Phantom” was a
musical phenomenon that Rebecca had always found enchanting. She had no idea
that her life was about to mirror the play that was her obsession. When her
high school drama club chooses “Phantom” as their annual production, Rebecca
finds herself in the middle of an unlikely love triangle and the target of a
sadistic stalker who uses the lines from the play as their calling card.
Rebecca lands the lead role of Christine, the opera diva,
and like her character, she is torn between her two co-stars—Tom the surfer and
basketball star who plays the lovable hero, and Justyn, the strangely appealing
Goth who is more than realistic in the role of the tortured artist.
Almost immediately after casting, strange things start to
happen both on and off the stage. Curtains fall. Mirrors are shattered. People
are hurt in true phantom style. They all seem like accidents until Rebecca
receives notes and phone calls that hint at something more sinister. Is Justyn
bringing to life the twisted character of the phantom? Or in real life are the
roles of the hero and the villain reversed? Rebecca doesn’t know who to trust,
but she knows she’s running out of time as she gets closer and closer to
opening night. Only when the mask is stripped away, will the twenty first
century phantom finally be revealed.
Excerpt:
The orchestra tuned for its virtuoso, and Justyn stood
ready. But no one else was ready for the magical performance he began. Beside
her, Carmen was rambling on about something mundane. Rebecca elbowed her to
silence so she could listen to the perfectly thrilling tenor. As she listened
to the song unfold, the world around her started to slip away. Gone was the
high school auditorium. Gone were the rowdy teenagers. The Gothic stranger on
the stage had become the embodiment of Erik, and Rebecca watched him in all his
dark glory, belting out his tormented love through the words of his song. And
she was as breathless with wonder as Christine herself must have been when the
masked stranger serenaded her in the candlelit labyrinth of the opera house. In
that moment, Justyn wasn’t just portraying the phantom. Justyn was the phantom.
“Let the music touch your soul.
Let the darkness make you whole.
Do not
fear what is unknown.
Your true path has now been shown.
Listen to the words I sing.
Embrace the peace that night will
bring.”
As he continued to sing in his deep but somehow angelic
voice, Rebecca found that she couldn’t tear her eyes away from him. With every
line, her heart began to beat faster.
She truly felt the arms of night wrapping her in a warm embrace. She
could almost feel the hands of the phantom glide along her body as the words
poured forth. The music caressed her. It possessed her—mind, body and soul.
Each word left her longing, yearning for more.
She was gawking so obviously, it was hardly surprising when
Justyn felt her eyes on him and steadily met her gaze. She realized her mouth
was hanging open in stunned awe, and she quickly snapped it shut. His lips
moved into just a small hint of a smile. He never took his eyes off her while
he sang the final verse, making her cheeks flush to the point that she felt
almost feverish. But it wasn’t embarrassment but excitement, arousal even,
which was sending her mind spinning in so many directions.
When the song was over, and Rebecca had recovered just a
hint of her composure, she couldn’t help but burst into a healthy round of
applause. A few scattered people joined in, including Debbie and Carmen after
she nudged them in the ribs. But only Miss King seemed to truly appreciate the
brilliance of his talent as much as Rebecca did.
“That was amazing,
Justyn!” the teacher gushed.
“Lord Justyn,” he
corrected as he stepped down from the stage.
A few others complimented him as well, but he took in all in
stride. In fact, his serious expression never faltered as he stepped down from
the stage. He seemed almost bored, like it was all he could do to hold back a
yawn, despite the smiles and words of encouragement.
But not everyone in the crowd was pleased as Justyn glided
down the aisle, so ethereal in his dark garments that he still resonated the
spirit of the Opera Ghost. Miss King might have been excited about the newest
male addition to her cast after being limited for many years, but Tom and his
group of boisterous companions glared at him as he passed them by. Jay sneered and tossed a balled up piece of
paper in Justyn’s direction, but the Goth was quick, and caught it in his hand
without missing a beat.
“I think you dropped
something,” he said.
His speaking voice was no less melodic than his singing
voice, but something about his tone made Rebecca shiver. He tossed the paper
back at Jay, who was nowhere near as coordinated as Justyn. He practically fell
off his seat in his efforts to catch it.
“Hey vampire,” Tom
called when Justyn went to walk away. “Are you sure you can handle the
competition?”
Justyn smiled, a cool, sarcastic half-smile, and crossed his
arms over his chest. “Are you?”
Miss King didn’t notice the short confrontation, and Justyn
vanished from the auditorium as quickly and mysteriously as he had appeared.
Only Rebecca had noticed the very real tension between the two boys. She
wondered if it was a bad omen for them to start off the production with hard
feelings and envy. That could only lead to trouble. The kind of trouble that
could end with someone getting hurt. The
kind of trouble that Rebecca would do whatever it took to avoid.
 |
| Author Laura DeLuca with the real Jay Kopp |
About the Author:
Laura “Luna” DeLuca lives at the beautiful Jersey shore with
her husband and four children. She loves writing in the young adult genre
because it keeps her young at heart. In
addition to writing fiction, Laura is also the sole author of a popular review
blog called New Age Mama. She is an active member of her local pagan community,
and has been studying Wicca for close to eight years. Her current works include Destiny, Destiny
Unveiled, Phantom, Morrigan and Player.
Follow the Tour
Girls Heart Books
Melissa Stevens
Intoxicated by Books
Storm Goddess Book Reviews
A Little Bit of R&R
The Page Flipperz
Books-n-Kisses
Sizzling Hot Books
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